WE’VE heard it all before — countless times. Those few who we few, the thinking ordinary citizen, can count upon to count, hold and know well that we are today a tottering nation of over 160 million, led by our fist-punching ‘leaders’, multiplying with impunity (who cares?) at the rate of ten births per minute.

The product is a disproportionately large number of ignoramuses motivated by bigotry and of bigots motivated by ignorance.

Indestructible this nation is not. Its capacity to self-destruct has been proven time and again. We successfully managed to shed ourselves of half the country left to us by our founder- maker, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, so it is extremely difficult to subscribe to the theory that we cannot shed what is left — or alternatively allow it to be broken up and distributed among others. Those who self-destruct leave themselves wide open to destruction from outside.

A survey of the national press (which, thanks to President General Pervez Musharraf, is free to print what it likes) starting last Monday and leading up to yesterday, tells a sorry tale of Karachi, the misfortunes of which reverberate throughout the country.

Newspaper one, of Monday April 10, told us that 21 women and eight children were trampled to death, while over 50 others suffered injuries, in a stampede inside a three-storey mosque where they were attending a religious congregation. Why did they die? Because the three-storey mosque had but one sole narrow exit, thanks to our rapacious mafia of builders and developers and to our unthinking administration. The president and the prime minister (and the rest of the top shots) were duly aggrieved. That was about it — the international media carried full reports updating the world.

Newspaper two, of April 11, told us that the police had initiated a ‘probe’ into the matter of the stampede. We were also given details of the ‘elaborate programme to mark Eid Milad today.’ It was to be celebrated across the country with ‘religious enthusiasm and solemnity.’ The president and the prime minister duly ‘greeted’ the nation on the auspicious occasion, and the president was quoted as having said the previous evening at a banquet that ‘extremist tendencies must be condemned and discouraged and these are opposed to harmony and progress in a society.’

There was no newspaper three on April 12, the press having shut itself down on the 11th to duly participate in the enthusiasm and solemnity.

Newspaper four, of April 13, neither shocked nor surprised us as the previous day’s happenings had been plastered all over our and the world’s electronic media. ‘Karachi carnage sparks fury,’ ‘Shock, grief, bring life in city to a standstill,’ were just two samples. The body count so far was 47, among them those of five prominent religious leaders of one of the many sects, with well over 100 injured. ‘Body parts of bomber’ were said to have been ‘sent for DNA test.’ Thousands had gathered in Nishtar Park to pray and commune with their Maker. Such was their reward.

The reaction of the mindless mobs was immediate and violent and hundreds set off on a burning and breaking spree. Police and Rangers came under attack and fled the scene. All over the city parked vehicles were haphazardly burnt, moving vehicles were stoned, bonfires were set ablaze. The surviving sectarian leadership called for a three-day ‘strike’ and issued a 48-hour ultimatum. Washington ‘condemned’ the bombing, the president and the prime minister expressed their sorrow and ordered an immediate inquiry. Karachi had shut itself down out of fear and trepidation.

Newspaper five of the 14th told us that ‘City remains shut on second day of mourning,’ that the ‘Army deployed at sensitive points,’ and that ‘People suffer as petrol pumps kept closed,’ ‘Violence breaks out in many areas, three hurt in firing, five vehicles torched.’ The president and the prime minister repeated their instructions for a ‘thorough probe,’ ‘vowed exemplary punishment for culprits,’ and urged people to show restraint. The federal interior minister denied that there had been any security lapse, and we were told that there would be no changes in the Sindh government. No resignations were reported.

Newspaper six, yesterday, reported that Karachi was rendered completely paralytic, banks, shops, offices, petrol pumps all shut, streets deserted. The odd bus was burnt, a few tyres set on fire by enthusiasts, and the day passed. An FIR in connection with the Nishtar Park blast was registered against ‘unknown persons.’

This past eventful Karachi week has caused a loss to the national exchequer of some two billion rupees. But who cares?

Now are the mobs on their rampage aware of the culprits whose dire deeds have worked them up into a frenzy? Or is their violence totally mindless — violence for the sake of violence? Do they know the cost? Doubtful. Do they care? Definitely not.

More to the point is: does our joint leadership care? Are they bothered? If by chance they do and are, what do they intend to do to mitigate, if not eliminate, the sectarian violence that stalks the land?